Two weeks in Tanzania documenting the work of Artists for World Peace with my camera and a big smile.

Reality check

Day 5 – we made it back to the hotel early tonight so I have a little time to blog after my usual routine of backing up photo and video files. Having been here for a few days now I am starting to realize what village life in Tanzania really is like.
I don’t think I fully understood humanitarian work until seeing “Mama Wendy” and “Mama Josephine” in action. The two “dada’s” are a powerhouse – they are true soul sisters and share an amazing vision of empowering not only the orphans they are taking care of, but the whole village. For every project that gets completed, there is another one waiting, for every family rising up, there is another one in need. “How can I say no to them” said Wendy to me today…and if you were here with us, you would see why.
Balthazar – the teacher at the Good Hope Center took me on a walk around the village today to visit some of his relatives, but also some families that have literally nothing. They sleep in wooden shacks, no beds, no animals to provide them with food. That’s where the micro loans come in. Artists for World Peace has been hugely successful providing the members of Lukundane, a local cooperative with several micro loans to generate long term income for them. The peace pig club is flourishing, providing every proud pig owner with a source of money and food. Next up is a similar project with chickens – the cluck-cluck-club. It’s all about empowering the villagers and making them self sufficient in the long run. I know Wendy won’t stop until this whole village is in a better place. And if you could see all the love and appreciation from the locals, you would understand why. What amazes me is that even with all the hardship, there is still so much happiness and joy out there. I definitely have a whole new appreciation for being able to sleep in a big comfortable bed tonight. With that said – it’s time to catch some zzz’s…there is lots more for us to do.